NBA Draft Big Board 2.0: The Top 30 players in the draft

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Blake Wesley, Notre Dame. Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images /

NBA Draft Big Board 2.0: No. 25-27

25. Ousmane Dieng, Wing, New Zealand Breakers

It was a tale of two seasons for Ousmane Dieng. The young forward played in the NBL this season and was absolutely atrocious for the first half of the year. Then something clicked, and suddenly the 6’10” forward was dribbling like a point guard and setting up teammates or gliding to the rim. He could build on those improvements near the end of the season and be a star on both ends of the court, or he could be a long-term project that never really puts it all together. One of the more polarizing players in the draft, I’m at the lower end of Dieng’s value compared to other analysts.

26. Blake Wesley, Guard, Notre Dame

The realities of a global pandemic hit the prospect evaluation world too, as scouts and recruiters were able to see less of players the past few years. That’s how a 6’3″ guard with the skillset of Blake Wesley went largely unnoticed coming into college. That changed after an impressive freshman season at Notre Dame. Blake Wesley has a nasty collection of dribble moves and is the kind of athlete who can make off-balance shots around the rim or suddenly explode to dunk it on your head. He has good length and energy on defense and will be something of a pest at the next level. His jumper is the huge question mark; if he can stroke it off-the-dribble then he is a potential All-Star.

27. Jake LaRavia, Forward, Wake Forest

Wake Forest had its best season in a long time this year, and while ACC Player of the Year Alondes Williams got much of the publicity, junior forward Jake LaRavia was quietly a huge part of the Demon Deacons’ success. He is incredibly sharp in how he plays; he knows where to position himself as a spot-up shooter or filling a lane in transition and has shrewd timing on his cuts. He has a smooth stroke that should translate as an off-ball shooter, but an off-the-dribble 3-pointer is probably a long way off. Defensively he is surprisingly tough and always knows where to be, but a lack of athleticism will keep this from being a true strength.